Original Blair Witch Project cast make open letter plea to studio rebooting franchise

Stars from the original Blair Witch Project have released a public letter asking its production company for compensation for their work on the 1999 supernatural blockbuster, and “meaningful consultation” on any future projects that use their names or likenesses.

Actors Rei Hance (formerly known as Heather Donahue), Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams issued the statement just 10 days after Lionsgate Motion Picture Group and Blumhouse announced plans to revive the franchise.

Lionsgate group chair Adam Fogelson said earlier this month that the forthcoming film will reintroduce the horror classic to a new generation.

Leonard said after the Lionsgate announcement that no one had contacted him or his co-stars about the project in advance.

“At this point, it’s 25 years of disrespect from the folks who’ve pocketed the lion’s share (pun intended) of the profits from OUR work, and that feels both icky and classless,” Leonard wrote on Facebook.

Leonard said that the actors each made $300,000 (£242,000) from a buyout of their ownership points on the film, which went on to gross $248m (£200m) worldwide.

The actors have collectively called on Lionsgate to provide them with retroactive and future residual payments “equivalent to the sum that would’ve been allotted through SAG-AFTRA, had we had proper union or legal representation when the film was made.”

They asked to be consulted on future projects in which their likeness would be used, or any projects where they would be associated for promotional purposes.

The Independent has contacted Lionsgate for comment.

The original film follows three American students who decide to go into the Maryland backwoods to cover the mystery behind the Blair Witch incidents. But when they lose their map, things take an unexpected turn. It was shot over the course of one week on a shoestring budget, with the main actors using their own names for their characters.

The film’s original directors Eduardo Sanchez and Dan Myrick, producers Gregg Hale and Robin Cowie, and co-producer Michael Monello released a joint statement in support of the actors.

“While we, the original filmmakers, respect Lionsgate’s right to monetize the intellectual property as it sees fit, we must highlight the significant contributions of the original cast  – Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Mike Williams,” their statement reads.

“As the literal faces of what has become a franchise, their likenesses, voices, and real names are inseparably tied to The Blair Witch Project. Their unique contributions not only defined the film’s authenticity but continue to resonate with audiences around the world.”

The actors also requested that Lionsgate create a $60,000 “Blair Witch Grant” for an aspiring genre filmmaker to assist in making their first feature film.

Lionsgate first revived the franchise with the 2016 sequel Blair Witch, which earned $45 million worldwide. Overall, the franchise has spawned two more films, multiple novels, a video game series, a themed escape room, comic books,

In 2002, the actors sued Artisan Entertainment for using their names and likenesses in the studio’s 2000 sequel Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2.